Seal



Aug. 25, 1931. w. M. BROOKS 1, 20,595

SEAL

Filed Aug. 29. 1950 avwen 01:

Patented-Aug. 25, 1931 wmrann u. BROOKS, or wnsr omen, NEW JERSEY Application filed August 29, 1930. Serial No. 478,680.

This invention relates to seals, and has more particularly reference to seals that may be moved into locking position with one hand. When sealing or tagging certain objects, such as the legs of live poultry, it is not possible for the operator to use both hands in the manipulation of the sealingelement, and the main object and feature of the invention is to so construct a seali-n device that one hand of the operator is su cient to close it, thereby leaving the other hand free.

In the accompanying drawings the invention isdisclosed in a concrete and preferred form in which:

Fig. 1 is a sectional view of a sealing device constructed according to my invention.

Fig. 2 is a plan view looking in the direction of arrow 2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a view, in elevation, similar to Fig. 1 showing the parts in the position they occupy at the beginning of the closing operation.

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3 but showing the seal partlyclosd and ready for final closing.

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 4 with the parts in their final position.

The seal consists of a strip of sheet material 1 having a bending zone 2 intermediate its ends, said zone being preferably formed of cut-away portion 3. In the present instance the strip is initially bent, when being manufactured, into two substantiall semicircular halves 4 and 5. One end of t e strip is provided with a locking member 6 capable of being bent by reason of reduced portion or neck 7, whilst the other end of the strip is provided with a complementary locking member 8 and a deflecting member 9. As here shown the metal is stamped out to form member 9, leaving a locking member or frame 8 which receives the other locking member 6. 10 indicates a raised portion on the strip to prevent slippage when handling the parts.

The operator grasps the seal between this operation,

being having a thumb 11 and forefinger 12as indicated in Fig. 3, and brings the seal adjacent the object to be sealed or tagged, such as the chicken leg 13 indicated in the drawings. Pressure is then exerted against the opposed halves until the ends of the strip are brought toward" each other as indicated in- Fig. 4. During member 6 enters frame 8 and is deflected by member 9, whereby said mem ber 6 is in osition to be bent by another finger 14 of indicated in Fig. 5, whereby the seal is firmly secured to 13. Any attempt to tamper with this seal will result in the breaking of member 6 at its neck portion, or will cause fracture of the metal along bending zone 2. It will be observed that the sealing operation can be carried on by one hand, thereby leaving the other hand free.

claim:

1. A seal includin a strip of sheet material having a hen ing zone intermediate its ends admitting of said opposed ends being brought toward each other, one end of said strip having a locking member capable of bent, and the other end of said strip deflecting member and a complementary locking member iiprovided with an opening admitting of the rst locking member extending therethrough with its free end t e same hand into the final place J projecting outwardly from said strip, whereby when said strip is bent in the plane of its a bending zone said locking members interengage, the first mentioned one of said locking. members passing through the opening aforea said and being deflected by the deflecting member associated with the other locking member into position to be subjected to additional bending to place it against said other locking member.

2. A seal including: a strip of sheet material formed into two substantially semicircular halves with an intermediate bending zone that admits of said strip being brought by bending into substantially cir-..

cular form with the ends of the strip overlapping, one end of said strip having a locking member capable of being bent, and the other end of said strip havin a complementary locking member and a eflecting member, whereby when said strip is bent in the plane of its bending zone said locking members interengage, the first mentioned one of said locking members being deflected by the deflecting member associated with the other locking member.

Signed at Newark, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, this 26th day of August, 1930.

WINFRED M. BROOKS. 

